ELVIS
PRESLEY - A DATE WITH ELVIS
Reviewed by:
George Nelson 2002/06/06
LPM - 2011 (1959)
2011-2-R (1990)
This review is
on the 1959 A DATE WITH ELVIS CD. This LP was a follow up
to FOR LP FANS ONLY released the same year. Elvis was in the
army and RCA decided to repackage some singles that were not
yet available on LP. Unfortunately the sound on this CD is
not as good as FOR LP FANS ONLY. The songs are not as clear
sounding. However at the same time the bad sound almost gives
this CD an edge. I found myself cranking it while I was writing
this review.
The cover shows
an army Elvis, along with 3 photos on the bottom. The LP release
had a calendar with Elvis’ discharge date circled on it. Fancy
for the time. The CD version only has the original front cover,
with just black and white writing on the back.
The CD starts
off with Blue Moon of Kentucky, which was the flip side of
THAT’S ALL RIGHT. It was recorded at Sun Studio in Memphis.
It is a very uptempo version of the original song done by
Bill Monroe a few years earlier.
Two songs from
the movie Jailhouse Rock appear next. Young and Beautiful
and (You’re so Square) Baby I Don’t Care. Baby I don’t care
is a great song but on this release the sound is horrible.
It sounds like it was recorded in the 30’s opposed to the
50’s. This is the only song where the sound affects the track
in a negative way.
Three more songs
recorded for Sun records are up next. Milkcow Blues Boogie
is pure rock-a-billy. Elvis starts off real slow, then "Hold
it that don’t move me, let’s get real gone with it."
then Elvis rips into the song. A real Elvis classic. Baby,
Let’s Play House is Next. The Stereo’s really cranking now.
What a great song. Baby, Let’s Play House was the first Elvis
song to hit a music chart of any kind. Up next is Elvis’ second
single for SUN, "Well I Heard the News, There’s Good
Rockin’ Tonight" just a great rendition, I love this
song.
The CD slows
down a little bit with Is it So Strange, recorded in January
of 1957. Is it so Strange was the only song from the JUST
FOR YOU EP to not make the LOVING YOU LP. However it fits
in beautifully here though.
We’re Gonna Move
was recorded in August of 1956 for the 20th Century Fox film,
Love me Tender. Probably one of the weaker songs on
this CD, it seems out of place. It’s also worth Mentioning
that Let me, from Love me Tender was never released
on an LP until 1971, when ELVIS 50 GOLD AWARD HITS, VOLUME
2: THE OTHER SIDES was released. The only way you could get
the song was to buy the LOVE ME TENDER EP.
I want to be
Free was from the Movie Jailhouse Rock. This song,
the sound isn’t that great but it gives that rough feel to
it. It sounds kind of awesome to listen to it. It gives it
that classic sound. It’s also interesting to note that Don’t
Leave Me Now from the JAILHOUSE ROCK EP was not available
on album until 1988’s ESSENTIAL ELVIS came out. It would be
the only song on that EP not to be released on an album.
The Song finally
ends with Elvis’ first number one country hit, I Forgot to
Remember to Forget. This song was the flip side of Mystery
Train. It would be the last Single for SUN records and the
first for RCA.
A Date with Elvis
was nothing more than a hodge podge album. Put this together
with FOR LP FANS ONLY and you’ll have a great Early hits collection.
Although like I said the sound isn’t that great, but hey,
it doesn’t hurt this album. I just kind of regret the fact
that I waited so long to buy this CD. Buy it if you can, you
won’t regret buying this release.